Envelop-moistening device.



J. W. LOVEJOY.

BNVELOP MOISTENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1911.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

/ llll J INVENTOR. BY E 7 ATTORNEYs,

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' WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOORAFH ($0., WAsHINGTON. B. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. LOVEJOY, OF STEEL, OHIO.

ENVELOP-MOISTENING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June is, 1911.

To all whom it may concem Be it known that I, JOHN W. LOVEJOY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Steel, in the county of Belmont and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop- Moistening Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to envelop moistening devices, and more particularly to a device for moistening the gummed flap of an envelop, folding the same and sealing the flap.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a device of the above type for eX- peditiously and economically sealing envelops, the device being especially designed for large banking and mercantile houses, where a large number of envelops are daily sent out.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the above type consisting of comparatively few parts, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble and highly efficient for the purposes for which it is intended.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, in Which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of the device, Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite side of the device, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device, Fig. 4 is a plan of the device with the lid or cover thereof partly broken away, Fig. 5 is a cross sec.- tional view of the device, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a detached guide or folder, and Fig. 7 is a detail in side elevation of the receptacle.

A device in accordance with this invention comprises a casing or box having a bottom plate 1, longitudinal side walls 2 and 3, end walls 4 and 5 and a lid or cover 6 hinged or pivotally connected, as at 7 to the upper edge of the wall 3. The end wall 4 is provided with a transverse entrance slot 8 the entire width of the wall 4 and this slot, adjacent to the side wall 2, is in communication with a vertical slot 9. The slot 8 is adapted to receive the body of an envelop and the slot 9 the flap thereof, the envelop being placed in the casing or box with the flap of the envelop open and at approximately a right angle to the body of the envelop.

The bottom plate 1 and the end wall 4 are formed integral with a receptacle 10, located adjacent to the side wall 2. The side wall 3 and the inner wall 11 of the receptacle are provided with bearings 12 and 13for a transverse revoluble shaft 14 having the ends thereof protruding from the bearings 12 and 13. Upon the end of the shaft 14 protruding from the bearing 12 there is mounted a belt wheel 15 having an annular groove 16 for an endless belt 17. Upon the end of the shaft protruding'into the receptacle 10 there is mounted a circular head 18 and this headhas the side thereof confronting the wall 19 of the receptacle 10 provided with a flat piece of absorbent material 20, as a sponge or piece of felt. A portion of this absorbent material, designated 21 is adapted to protrude through a vertical slot 22 provided therefor in. the upper part of the wall 19,. for a purposethat will presently appear.

' Mounted upon the shaft 14 adjacent to the wall 11 of the receptacle 10 is a roll 23 and frictionally engaging said roll and the periphery of the head 18 is a roll 24 of a greater length than the roll 23. The roll 24 is mounted upon a shaft 25 journaled in bearing blocks 26 movably supported in housings 27 formed integral with the walls 2 and 3. The bearing blocks 26 are normally retained in the lower ends of the housings by coiled compression springs 28 having the upper and lower convolutions the rear edge of the overhanging edge 43, this overhanging edge being maintained in a horizontal plane, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

When an envelop is placed in the slots 8 and 9 and into the pass of the rolls 23 and 24, the gummed or adhesively coated side of the envelop is moistened by the head 18, when the shaft 14 is rotated. The envelop will be carried between the rolls 23 and 24 into the large end of the guide or folder. The feed rolls 32 and 33 will shift the envelop through the guide and as the flap of the envelop enters the guide, the flap will be gradually closed, and as it passes between the sealing rolls 41 and 42, the flap of the envelop will be sealed and the envelop ejected from the machine through the slot 44.

With the lid 6 in an open position, mucilage or other liquid ceptacle 10, and as the head 18 is revolved, a portion of the absorbent material is always exposed to contact with the flap of the en velop moved between the wall 2 and the head 18 of the device.

The invention is not confined to the manner of imparting a rotary movement to the various rolls of the device, and while the device illustrated the accompanying thereof seating in sockets 29 provided therefor in the bearing blocks 26 and the top walls of the housings 27.

The side walls 2 and 3 (intermediate the ends thereof), are provided with bearings 30 for a transverse revoluble shaft 31 and mounted upon this shaft, adjacent to the wall 3, is a roll 32. Frictionally engaging 1 the roll 32 is another roll 33 mounted upon the shaft 34 arranged above the shaft 31, the shaft 34 being yieldably supported, similar to the shaft 25. One end of the shaft 31 protrudes from the wall 3 and is provided with a grooved belt wheel 35 against which the belt 17 travels. The rolls 32 and 33 are approximately half the width of the casing or be and these rolls constitute means for feeding an envelop to the casing or box to the opposite end thereof.

The walls 2 and 3 are provided with bear ings 36 adjacent to the end wall 5 and journaled in these hearings is a shaft 37 having the ends thereof protruding from said bearings. Tl'llOllIll Bd upon the end of the shaft 3'7 adjacent to the wall 3 is a grooved belt wheel 38 over which the endless belt 17 passes. The opposite end of the shaft 37 has a crank 39 and a handle 40, whereby the shaft can be easily rotatec. Mounted upon the shaft 37 is a wide roll 41 approximately the same width the casing or box, and frictionally engaging this roll is another wide roll 42 mounted upon a shaft 43 located above the shaft 37. The shaft 43 is supported similar to the upper shafts and 34. The end wall 5 has a wide transverse slot 44 in a line with the pass between the rolls 41 and 42.

All of the rolls within the casing or lOOX can be provided with a cover 45 of rubber or other material to produce a greater friction between the top rolls and the other driven rolls.

To maintain the endless belt 17 taut and in frictional engagement with the belt wheels 15, 35 and 38, a small grooved wheel 46 is journaled upon a stub shaft 47, carried by the wall 3 adjacent to the belt wheel 38 and at a point to engage the upper strand of the belt.

The inner side of the wall 2, between the shafts 31 and 34, is provided with an inte gral horizontal bracket 48 having an inclined edge 49. Secured to the inclined edge 49 by screws 50 or other fastening means is an angularly disposed guide or folder, made of a piece of sheet metal 51 having a vertical wall 52 and an overhanging edge 53, the sheet of metal forming a chute that extends from the pass of the rolls 23 and 24 to the pass of the rolls 41 and 42. The guide is gradually tapered from the forward end thereof to the rear end, the taper being in the vertical wall 52, whereby the bottom of the guide will gradually converge toward 1n drawings is designed for an ordinary type of envelop, it is obvious that the device can be made of greater width to receive large envelope. It is for this reason that the paper releasing devices are yieldably held in engagement with the driven rolls, whereby various thicknesses of envelops containing letters or other matter can be placed between the rolls.

What I claim is 1. An envelop moistener comprising a casing, a receptacle arranged therein having one wall thereof slotted, a set of feeding rolls, one arranged at one side of said receptacle, a revolving head positioned in said receptacle and carried by the shaft of that roll arranged at one side of the receptacle; absorbent material secured to one side of the head. and projecting through said slotted wall for moistening the flap of an envelop as the flap is fed by said rolls, flap-folding means extending from said feeding rolls, means for carrying the envelop through said folding means after the envelop leaves the feeding roll, and a set of sealing rolls for taking up the envelop from the flap folding means and sealing the envelop.

2. An envelop moistener comprising a casing, a receptacle arranged therein having one wall thereof slotted, a set of feeding rolls, one arranged at one side of said receptacle, a revolving head positioned in said receptacle and carried by the shaft of that roll arranged at one side of the receptacle, absorbent material secured to one side of the can be placed in the rellt head and projecting through said slotted Wall for moistening the flap of an envelop as the flap is fed by said rolls, means for carrying the envelop through said folding means after the envelop leaves the feeding'roll, and a set of sealing rolls for taking up the envelop from the flap folding means and sealing the envelop, and means for operating the In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

JOHN W. LOVEJOY. Witnesses:

J. B. NEFF, MARYA. NEFF. 

